South Carolina Habitat Plan for American Shad
SOUTH CAROLINA HABITAT PLAN FOR AMERICAN SHAD South Carolina Department of Natural Resources April 2021 Approved May 5, 2021 Introduction: The purpose of this Habitat Plan is to briefly document existing conditions in rivers with American shad runs, identify potential threats, and propose action to mitigate such threats. American shad (Alosa sapidissima) are found in at least 19 rivers of South Carolina (Waccamaw, Great Pee Dee, Little Pee Dee, Lynches, Black, Sampit, Bull Creek, Santee, Cooper, Wateree, Congaree, Broad, Wando, Ashley, Ashepoo, Combahee, Edisto, Coosawhatchie, and Savannah Rivers). Many have historically supported a commercial fishery, a recreational fishery, or both. Currently, commercial fisheries exist in Winyah Bay, Waccamaw, Pee Dee, Black, Santee, Edisto, Combahee, and Savannah Rivers, while the Sampit, Ashepoo, Ashley, and Cooper rivers no longer support commercial fisheries. With the closure of the ocean-intercept fishery beginning in 2005, the Santee River and Winyah Bay complex comprise the largest commercial shad fisheries in South Carolina. Recreational fisheries still exist in the Cooper, Savannah, Edisto, and Combahee Rivers, as well as the Santee River Rediversion Canal. For the purposes of this plan, systems have been identified which, in some cases, include several rivers. Only river systems with active shad runs were included in this plan, these include the Pee Dee River run in the Winyah Bay System (primarily the Waccamaw and Great Pee Dee Rivers), the Santee-Cooper system (Santee and Cooper Rivers with the inclusion of Lakes Moultrie and Marion), and the ACE Basin (Edisto and Combahee Rivers) (Figure 1). A joint plan with Georgia was submitted and approved for the Savannah River.
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